


The Girl with the '07' Tattoo

by EDEN23



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 1984, Carrie inspired horror, Classic movie references, Controlling mothers, F/M, First Dates, First Time, First Time for Everything Fest, General hysteria, Joyce vs Towns people, Other, Seven, Standard transformations, kick-ass music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-09-09 19:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8909683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EDEN23/pseuds/EDEN23
Summary: Gracie-Jean witnesses the new freak occurrences happening in Hawkins, 1984. As her controlling mother plans to rid Hawkins of it's curse, Gracie-Jean meets Jonathan. Then things really get turned upside-down.





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 

 Jonathan got out of the car, half-looking around for Gracie. Only twenty-four hours had passed since she walked out in front of his car and they had both exchanged hostile glances in the student car park. The sky was clear and blue and he walked while carefully keeping his distance from the others.

 Crowds of students poured off busses and cars, all arriving at high school. Steve also got out of his car, happily oblivious to the mean stares and whispers that now followed him. He was no longer popular and Steve no longer cared. He turned around to see Jonathan walking across the parking lot. Steve called to him. "Hey, Jonathan!"

Jonathan turned to see Steve wave a hand. It was hard to dislike Steve these days even when he really wanted to. "Hey. What's up?"

"The Evil Dead is playing tonight, double horror-movie bill. Want to come with us?" Steve leaned casually on his expensive car, looking so damn earnest Johnathan gritted his teeth.

"Maybe. It sounds good. I might bring someone." Ordinarily he would've refused immediately, even though it was a kind thought. Third-wheeling Steve and Nancy would be excruciating. He said it with little enthusiasm since it was highly unlikely he'd ever talk to Grace again. 

Steve's eyes lit up. "Bringing a  _girl,_  Byers? Who's the lucky lady?"

"Lucky lady?" Nancy whilst walking closer had overheard them in the parking lot. She walked over to Steve who took her heavy books casually and Nancy half-smiled at him gratefully.  
It was a moment that made Jonathan's gut and heart twist a little in dull pain. It would've hurt less if they had just started heavily making out instead. They seemed pretty happy together, small stuff like that mattered.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I met this girl last night. She's cool."

"Who is she?" Nancy tried to ask it casually but something didn't sound right. There was an edge to her voice.

Steve raised one of his brows, hand to his chin. "Or do we guess...Doreen McCarthy. Amber Williams. Uh..."

Jonathan exhaled with amusement, mildly exasperated. "Seriously? Amber? Stop guessing, you won't get it. I need to get to class."

"You can't leave us like this man, give us a letter.  _Initials_!" He chuckled before shouting, echoing through the disapproving crowd. "We'll be discreet!" Jonathan walked away to class, flipping the bird quickly behind him. Steve was too perky in the morning. He had regretted saying anything now.

Nancy watched him go a little glumly.

"Oh yeah. In other news, my parents were pretty happy to see my report card last night." Steve smiled. "I think it might be the only time in recorded history my mom had something to put on the refrigerator."

"I guess that's what happens when you  _actually_  study."

"It's actually kind of fun...almost as fun as 'studying'." Steve smiled at her raised eyebrows. "But only with you."

"Steve Harrington, you're becoming soft..." They walked towards school as the bell rang.


	2. 1984

Jonathan drove into school, music blasting. He sang along before breaking the car suddenly. The girl who had walked in front of him ignored the beeping of his horn, giving him a hard glance equivalent to a middle finger in it's intensity. In her usual long dress and long plait she looked like a member of the Amish community as she walked into the building.

"Crazy." He mumbled under his breath. He was late and driving too fast but she should've been paying more attention.

* * *

The cold February morning air rattled through the town of Hawkins, blowing occasional trash debris and mushy leaves from the previous Fall. The dark post-winter bleakness still covered the town. The air seemed stagnant, like Spring wanted to come and yet...something was stopping it.

A sour-faced woman with bobbing grey hair trotted into the store, holding her hat as she strode in with an armful of fliers. She gave a scathing look at the arcade game bleeping in the corner and the boys who whooped with excitement. Will Byers whooped quietly with less enthusiasm. His mouth was weakly smiling and the eyes had worry in them. He turned to see a lady in blue march to the manager's office in the small store. He watched a sales assistant with a mop stop her. Will looked back at the game, then watched the lady again. The air in the shop had changed somehow.

"Ma'm the manager is out at a meeting today. How can I help you?"

A woman with grey hair flashed a smile, glinting her teeth more like a dog baring it's teeth. "I'm handing out flyers and would like to put them somewhere visible. I know your manager has taken a great interest in my work...I've had no problem putting them up elsewhere in town. I am Ms. Cecilia Brennan."

She handed him leaflet and the sales clerk visibly shrunk at the words on the page. "Umm..." He mumbled it flustering.

"I'll give you three...tell him that I stopped by." She turned on her heel and almost walked straight back out the door again before stopping abruptly. She turned her head slowly. "Shouldn't you kids be in school?" She eyed the arcade game with intense hatred.

A curly haired kid with missing teeth pipped up. "School starts in twenty-five minutes. It's ten minutes away by bike Mam." He turned back to Lucas who was intensely playing and cursing the occasional alien.

The woman smiled as Will watched her wearily. With surprising speed she bent down and before any kid could say a word, she had pulled the plug from the wall and the arcade screen went black to the boys' utter dismay.

"Hey!" Dustin was handed a flyer and she walked triumphantly out the door. "What'd you do that for? What a bitch!"

Mike watched her get into her truck and drive off before looking down at the piece of paper in Dustin's hand. "What the heck is this?"

The boys gathered around the paper. "It's advertising that she casts out...demons?"

"Offering home exorcisms..." Lucas read aloud, "...for those troubled by recent events." Mike glanced at Will's face, then scrunched up the paper.

Dustin shook his head. "I don't buy it. She's just crazy. A crazy mean lady who ruined our game. Now we'll have to wait until tomorrow to play it again!" He blurted, looking at his watch and rolling his eyes.

"Let's go to school guys. We'll be late." Will said it weakly. The other three boys continued to argue as they left for school. Before going out the door, Will turned back to glance at the flyer that had dropped on the ground. A knot of worry twisted his gut.

* * *

Lunch had just ended. A group of jocks chatted, watching Steve walk by in silence. Donnie had an insult to throw at him but suddenly was distracted. "Check it out guys." The guy wearing his school sports jacket and smiled perversely, opening his locker. "Virgin O'clock."

"Seriously Donnie? Those religious nuts?" Three odd looking girls stood out in their unflattering dated dresses as the crowds going to class thinned out. "It would be different if they were hot—or if you could see what was under those baggy grandma clothes."

"I guess that's what drives me crazy..." Donnie pulled out a packet of cigarettes and slammed the door. " _Not knowing_."

"You're sick, man."

"Watch this..." He mumbled to his snickering friends and stepped into the middle of the school corridor. "Hey girlies. Looking good today. Grace-Jean, I hear your Mom is doing free exorcisms now."

One of the jocks started to pretend to convulse, falling to the floor and bubbling spittle so he foamed at the mouth. "HELP ME! HE'S GOT ME GRACIE-JEAN! SAVE ME WITH YOUR POWERS! I LISTENED TO ROCK MUSIC AND NOW I'M DYING!"

Gracie gave Mary-Prudence a glare with side eye as Mary-Prudence smiled shyly through her long straight hair. Her front teeth almost peeped out as she basked in the attention of Donnie, slowing to a stop. Gracie took a few steps forward in the direction of their next class. She was hoping the other two would follow. Mercy watched glumly as the prettier Mary-Prudence playfully told Donnie to leave them alone.

"Prude, let's get to class." Gracie stared at her coldly with dark sober eyes, wanting to extinguish that dangourous spark of flirtation.  
If Mary-Prudence started a relationship, the devious blonde would not rest until she found a way to blackmail Gracie and Mercy into silence. Gracie had too many secrets to keep from Prude forever.

Mary-Prudence's little freckled elven face twitched at the unflattering nickname. "Gracie..." She hissed slightly through her white little teeth like a vengeful angel.

"How about you two girls get going...go pray or somethin'." Donnie raised his brows as he stabbed Gracie's pride with this condescending tone. In the school the three girls were considered religious freaks with crazy parents who didn't allow them to socialise with outsiders. Most people stayed away, but creeps like Donnie couldn't resist.

"Prudence!"

She smiled back innocently and shrugged. "I'll catch up Gracie-Jean. Go on."

"If you do this..." She was going to wash her hands of the whole situation. She was giving her last warning.

"You'll do what?" Another jock creeped up and put his hand heavily on her shoulder. He pressed his body up to hers and she recoiled. "Maybe if you weren't so uptight someone might want to actually jump _your_ bones." She resisted with all of her strength as she was pushed slowly against the locker, surrounded by the group of guys that was closing in on her. "But you're so frigid nobody would touch you—even if you _paid_ them." The heat rose to her face in anger, closing her eyes and moving her face away as he came close and pulled a piece of wild wavy hair. He smelled of soap and stale marlboro cigarettes. For a second she thought she could smell blood. "Gracie-Jean. Frigid freak."

"Guys! The Vice-Principle is coming, we gotta move."

The sixteen-year-old sports player glowered at her as he smiled with a closed warning fist. They moved with stealth to get to class. The drama had finished in the empty corridor.

"Get outta the way next time Gracie..." Mary-Prudence checked her nails, unflustered as she took once last glance at the high school team leaving down the hall. "That was your own fault."

"Oh really? That was my fault?" She snapped it as the beginnings of tears sparkled in her eyes. "How can you be so fricken' stupid Prudence? You'll get into trouble with that first rate a-hole and drag us in it too!"

"You don't know shit Gracie. You were standing there like you'd sucked a lemon, no wonder he called you a frigid bitch."

"Nice words, do you kiss your paster daddy with that mouth?" Gracie screwed up her face. "But then again _you_ can do whatever you want. You're the 'perfect' one. Mercy and I always had to take the fall for all of your petty lies since we were kids! Right Mercy?"

Both girls looked at Mercy, waiting for her to pick a side. She stared back blankly though lank auburn hair. "We're almost late for chem."

Gracie rolled her eyes. Graduation couldn't come soon enough. Then she'd get the first bus from this town and never look back.

* * *

Jonathan Byers drove into the parking lot ready to start a late afternoon shift he was almost late for. He got out and tucked his chin into his coat. It was still horribly cold in Hawkins. He turned and noticed the car he had parked beside had a flyer tucked under the windscreen wiper. He took it, reading the bold solemn letters. The word demon stood out bold and red, making him uneasy. He folded the weird flyer into his jacket, turning around to see if the distributer was still around. The suspicious flyer would have to wait. Work came first.

* * *

Gracie-Jean Brennan pulled back the curtain in the second-hand store. A woman with short grey hair in a bob narrowed her eyes before raising her brows. Perturbed she uttered in a low quivering voice that still managed to screech a little.

"It's just not right. You wearing a boy's coat. It makes you look like those...P-U..." Her mother rose her eyebrows, not ready to utter the 'NK'. Her mother shook her head, disturbed. "Girls should look like girls and boys be boys. Now try on this nice dress I found over there. And here's a nice coat—can't believe someone threw this out—Go on Gracie-Jean you need a nice new winter dress for school."

"What about this black velvet one? It's very long and warm."

"You know I don't like you wearing black. It's like you're going to a funeral. Or it looks like you are a devil worshipper. Nope." Her mother seemed to almost feel anxious just thinking about it. "Colours for you missy. Or maybe we'll walk right out of here and we'll get nothing at all if you're going to start acting—"

Gracie cut her rambling off. "—all right Mom. You know best. Will you drop me off at the library after? I want to get some studying done. I'll get the bus back." She closed the curtains after taking another armful of hideous mom approved clothes.

"It's already getting dark. You can lend books any day. And I don't see why you'd spend hours in there. Anyone would think I'm neglecting you. I'll drop you off. Ten minutes to collect books is more than enough."

"Fifteen?"

"If you studied that new Bible you got for your sixteenth birthday you wouldn't be itching to stay in that old cold place every blesséd day."

Grace looked into the mirror, watching her naked form get swallowed in yet another tent dress. It was frighting. An early seventies pattern that seemed a million years from the supposed 'sexual revolution'. She looked like a pilgrim on acid. "Mamma, I don't think I suit it that much..." She opened the curtain a little. Her mother ripped it back so the whole store could watch the awkward teenager.

"Oh Gracie-Jean! _I_ know it looks lovely, and you know where you can wear it?"

Gracie hid the pain of embarrassment behind a neutral face as she remembered the annual town country dance.

"The country dance next week!"

Gracie felt sick when closing the changing room curtains. Rage and embarrassment swirled as she was close to tears for the second time that day. One thing stopped her. The memory of her secret. She would be free tonight.

* * *

Grace watched the street drift by, blinking in the blinding sunset's light as gospel country music drawled. Charlie Pride sang mournfully and echoed the mournful Hawkins.

"Gracie-Jean...I feel like you're elsewhere these days. Sure you're not...I mean I feel a darkness in this town get stronger everyday and when you start changin' from my little girl I just wonder where you'll end up...remember Gracie. Every day we live is an act of spiritual warfare."

Gracie _was_ battling everyday. These conversations were hard to follow as they were interrupted by the punk music playing in her head. She wanted to move to New York and study art and philosophy. She wanted out from under the claws of a paranoid woman who trapped her with guilt in this wretched town.

"Gracie! Did you listen to what I just said?"

"Yes Momma." She watched the sunset dismally. As it set an idea crossed her mind. "Y'know Mom, you're right. Tonight I think that I might fast and pray. But I have to do it alone. No distractions. No snacks."

"Gracie, you need your dinner. Y–"

"No Mamma! I'm doing what you said! Spiritual warfare. I cannot be distracted. Not for anything." Gracie turned guiltily away, trying not to smile. Freedom would be hers for just tonight. But first she'd have to figure how to squeeze her guitar out her bedroom window.

* * *

A red haired twenty-something was mopping the floor under florescent lights. "Hey Jonathan. You're into music, right?"

The teenager turned around after stacking the last box of twinkies at the gas station he worked at. "Depends what it is. Why?"

It was February, 1984 and life was back to normal. The Byers household was business as usual and Jonathan could begin to resume doing what normal teens his age did. Worry about school, work at his small part-time job to fund buying records and camera film, _and_ still find time to devote hours to thinking about girls. Or rather, one girl.

"A bunch of us are going to the Rattlesnake tonight. The music is pretty good. It's open mic night and the winner gets two-hundred bucks. It's pretty competitive."

Jonathan paused for a moment. People had acted a little differently towards him now. Nancy had said lately he didn't look as 'unapproachable' as he used to. He wasn't sure how to take that compliment.

* * *

Gracie sat in her room. Bare wooden walls and ceiling, decorated only with a pot of fake flowers. Approved books sat in the bed-side cabinet. Approved clothes sat in her white wardrobe. Her bedspread was orange cotton with lace sewn around the edges. She watched the alarm clock tick slowly, listening for movement in the house. Watching her, dozens of fluffy animals surrounded her bed. She had no attachment to them but she didn't want to throw them out for one very important reason. They kept her secrets.

Sitting tensely on her bed, she looked like an upright china doll. But Gracie was not who people assumed she was. She was not her mother's compliant and obedient daughter. She was not the quiet high-school outcast. She was not even a dedicated runner.

Gracie looked through her sewing basket under the bed, finding the stitch picker. She took a huge old pink bear, turning him over so his fat ass was in the air. She picked neat stitches, ripping the seam before dipping her hand into white stuffing. She took out a pair of carefully folded blue jeans, picking the fluff off. She had saved her lunch money for months to buy a pair of cool new blue jeans. They had a huge hole in one of the knees and in her mother's eyes they would've been scandalous. She loved them.

Sewing up the pink bear again, she stopped as her mother walked around the kitchen. Her heart pounded at the very thought of her coming up to inspect her. She brutally cut the thread with her teeth and next cut open a white and blue striped cat, taking out an old white shirt that she had grown out of years ago. She had carefully hid it, waiting for a moment like this. She lightly sneaked over to the door, taking her chair and propping it against the handle. She put on the t-shirt and jeans, marvelling at the stripe of flesh that was visible between her high waisted jeans and her short shirt. To other girls this outfit would've been boring. For her it was revolutionary.

She took her thick frizzy blonde hair out of the braid and let it hang loose. She needed make-up to look pretty. Turning she took out her water-colour paint palette and added water from the glass beside her table. She took a thin brush, dipping it into brown paint. She closed an eye, lining it with a small flick. The cold paint dried on her eyelids and she looked in the mirror. She dipped her brush in purple paint, lining her lips and filling them in. She looked at her transformed face, applying chapstick to her lips to finish. She looked...normal. Maybe more than normal. She looked cool.

"Gracie! I don't think it's a good idea having no dinner! Now come downstairs!"

Gracie almost dropped her paintbrush in fright. "Mom! Please! I'll be down for breakfast tomorrow!" Her voice struggled with annoyance. Her mother wasn't doing it for Gracie's immortal soul. Her mother just wanted to control her. The older she got the more it was obvious.

"I'm not going to answer you if you ask any more questions!" Gracie took her guitar case. "G'night mom. This is something I _have_ to do."

She opened her window, putting on her old pink coat. She looked around the room. Everything was immaculate. She put the guitar out the window first, the case almost scraping along the sides of the window. After ten minutes of slowly and silently climbing down the wall with a guitar on her back, she got her keys out to get her bike and a ladder for when she returned. The pink evening was slowly descending into darkness as she crept deliberately like a cat. Walking down the drive with her bike, she cycled into town to the nearest bar. If her mother realised she was gone, Gracie knew she would have to leave for good. Life in that house wouldn't be worth living.

* * *

"Hi Mom." Jonathan stood by the side of the street in the phone booth, his breath fogging under the dim yellow light. "No I'm _fine_ , I just might come home a little later tonight." He stood looking at some graffiti, listening to Joyce as she debated whether to let him go. "Mom, if you don't want me to go, it's okay. I'll come home." Joyce continued talking and Jonathan suddenly noticed the weird flyer again. The words 'exorcism' and 'demons' were printed in red and Johnathan frowned as he read the name _C. Brennan_ at the bottom with an address and telephone number.

Jonathan stumbled out into cold night air, turning his jacket collar up. Joyce had finally said it was fine. He just had to be back around twelve-thirty.

* * *

The Brennan house was dark except for two lights flickering from behind curtains. The paster pulled up outside the driveway in his old second-hand car, pushing his glasses up his nose. He sighed. "Remember to be polite, Mary-Prudence. Ms. Brennan is a lot stricter than I am."

"Sure Daddy." Prudence smiled like a pixie, the edges of her wide mouth curling.

It rained down a little heavier as the Paster threw his coat over his turtle-neck and v-neck sweater combination. Prudence was always embarrassed by his dated outfits. He pressed the door bell, waiting for an answer. He found himself a little nervous. The house was always so still, pristine and quiet.

The door opened and Ms. Brennan quickly slid off the lock chain. "Pastor Val."

"I just came to say hello. I also brought Prude with me."

The blonde smiled brightly in the dark. "Hey Ms. Brennan, can I go up and see Gracie-Jean?"

"No, she's fasting tonight." Brennan's eyes flickered with superiority. "She wanted to be left alone."

"Such a spiritual young woman you've raised! Go on out to the car May-Prudence. I'll be ten minutes." Prudence let go of the fake smile and walked back to the car to sit in cold darkness.

The pastor closed the door behind him. Tensely he smiled. I went to the mini-mart today...I noticed the flyers you were leaving around town."

Ms. Brennan stood stiffly. "And why did you feel it was necessary to drive across town to tell me this?" She sniffed.

"All due respect Cecilia, you are not qualified firstly to advertise such things. Then there's the fact you might scare some people. Offend them too." Pastor Val almost flinched at her thundery face. He shouldn't've called her Cecilia.

* * *

Gracie sat on a wooden crate backstage, quietly playing. A group of long-haired guys stood waiting beside her, laughing and drinking beer. They had cut the sleeves off their jackets, sporting tattoos on their biceps. She had been waiting for them to say something scary or nasty, but one had briefly offered her a cigarette and the rest respectfully kept their distance. _Maybe life after high school is better after all._ She smiled as she thought. A guy from the stage called the band and the four young men scrambled for their instruments and plugs.

One guy with big hair set his beer on the crate beside her. "Oh, you in the show too? Good luck." He flipped down his sunglasses in the darkness and went out onto the stage. Gracie paused for a moment, briefly smiling.

"Hey! You wanna go on after those guys?" The manager looked and stood like a bear in flannel but his voice was a few tones higher than what you'd expect.

"Sure!" She squeaked it like a child and cringed at the sound. "I'll go next." She said it in a more deep womanly voice. "Any advice?"

"You want a piece of advice? Uh...dedicate the song to someone. Your brother who died in 'Nam, your sick mom, the guy who broke your heart...that kinda stuff."

* * *

Prudence eyed Gracie's lit bedroom window through the wet windshield. " _Fasting_? Give me a break." Prudence stepped out of the car, put up her coat hood and crept around the side of the house. She had climbed up on top of the coal bunker and proceeded to climb up the sturdy wooden trellis. The house was only one and a half stories high and Prudence peeked in. She smiled with delight to see no one was in.

"Oh, naughty Gracie-Jean." She muttered it under her breath, easing up the window that was not properly closed. "Now. Where do you hide your secrets?" She climbed in like a cat and began her search.

* * *

The bar was full and smoke clouded the dark noisy air. A girl with long blonde hair got up on the small stage, her eyes lowered in the bright stage lights. She was wearing a white shirt and jeans with boots, an old guitar slung on her shoulder. She lowered the mic, clearly nervous and trying not to show it.

"Er, hey, everyone. I dedicate this song to a special guy..." Her voice echoed through the bar as she adjusted her guitar and brought it closer to the microphone.

"What's his name?" The amused shout came from the bar.

Her eyes widened and she shrugged awkwardly. "I dunno...I haven't met him yet."

She hadn't meant it to be funny but the whole bar erupted in good-natured laughter and clapping. The girl on the stage smiled shakily and began to play. She was playing a well known David Bowie song, she hadn't began singing but she played the riffs masterfully, adding her own embellishment on the acoustic guitar.

As she began to sing the work colleague turned to Jonathan who was trying to listen. "I love this song! I'll buy you beer?"

Jonathan shook his head and realised she looked familiar as she sang and played. A minute later the guy from work walked back over and handed him a beer anyway.

The purple lips sang, melodically. "Though nothing, _nothing_ will drive them away..."

Jonathan carried his camera with him most places. He discreetly took it out at that moment and took a picture with a click. Hawkins was a small town and if he had seen her before, he would've remembered her clearly. She looked young too, a high-schooler like him, trying to fit into this strange new environment.

"We can be heroes! Just for one day," She sang the final words and the bar clapped and sang along. She had transformed by the end of the song, no longer shy but basking in the music and smiling and finding it hard to stay in one place, buzzing with energy. The last riff played. Her eyes opened after being closed for a few seconds after the end and tipped her chin down and waved her hand awkwardly as the applause and hoots filled the bar.

She disappeared backstage as a country music band dressed like flashy cowboys got up on stage in her place.

"That was good. Real good. Man, I wish I could play guitar!" The red headed guy clapped and turned to were Jonathan was sitting. "Byers?" An untouched bottle of beer sat on the empty table at his place and he shrugged and lit a cigarette.

* * *

Jonathan saw her, near the backstage door and packing away her guitar slowly. He cleared his throat "Hi." She flinched a little at his voice, like she was caught doing something wrong.

Gracie turned to see Jonathan Byers, brother of Will Byers. "Erm, Hi?" She had only ever spoken to him once. It had been when he worked in the convenience store last year. She remembered the husky quiet tone of his voice and how he seldom looked people in the eye whilst talking to them.

"Good job out there." He smiled a little nervously in the green light of backstage exit sign, "I've never heard someone from here play Bowie before. You're from Hawkins?"

It suddenly dawned on her that he didn't know who she was. She shrugged, debating if she should lie to keep her identity a secret. "Yes, I'm from Hawkins." Lying failed miserably.

"I knew you looked familiar. But you don't go to Hawkins high school."

"Yeah, I do." She looked up at him, he was looking her in the eyes.

"No way. But everyone knows everyone." He smiled.

"Clearly not." She knew she should've acted friendlier but it felt good to be a little mean. Maybe she was mad that he had never noticed her. She picked up her guitar. "I gotta get going. See you around Jonathan."

He walked out after her into the parking lot, more confused than ever. Her bike was locked in the shadows. "You're not going to wait and see if you've won?"

"Nah, I know I didn't win. I didn't come for the money. I just came to...escape for a while."

"I could give you a ride home. The rain is going to get worse. It might not be safe."

Gracie almost replied, "Of course it's safe. This is Hawkins." She stopped herself. That statement was no longer true. She was one of the volunteers who searched for days in shifts. She had to admit herself, near the end of the search she was searching the ground for evidence of a dead body. But thankfully, impossibly, his brother came back alive.

Jonathan pressed on. "Where do you live? It's best if you go by car...seriously"

"But I got my bike here." She walked into the yellow glare of the streetlamp and looked for her keys

"You could put it in my car." Jonathan paused as she took out her keys from her pocket. In the clear light he now recognised her. "Wait, I have seen you at school. You're..." The name was on the tip of his tongue but Gracie quickly aided him.

"Ding ding ding. That's right. Gracie-Jean Brennan." _Daughter of Cecilia Brennan, the local nut._ She thought, pursing her lips.

"I didn't recognise you with..."

"Normal clothes?" Bitterness from her chest crept into her words.

Jonathan frowned with a smile. "I was going to say the _guitar_. My car is parked around the corner. Are you coming or not?"

* * *

Jonathan turned on the ignition and automatically tapped a tape into the cassette player. The Clash played loudly and he ejected it. "Umm...there's some Ziggy Stardust in there if you want to look. Some of my stuff is an acquired taste I guess."

"Was that the Clash?"

" _You_ know who the Clash are?"

She was a little offended for a second. "Yes. But I like the Sex Pistols more than the Clash." She remembered that while she was a rebel inside, nothing even slightly rebellious showed on her exterior.

" _What_? Why?"

Gracie realised she was talking animatedly with Jonathan Byers as he drove through Hawkins main street. And couldn't help but smile. "It's my opinion. I'm not saying they're _better_. But I like them more. They _are_ punk."

"They can't play their instruments."

"Exactly. They're too punk for that stuff, it's all about the message...anarchy!"

"Wait, how do you know about the Clash if your Mom barely lets you out of the house?"

The cassette tapes rattled in the glove box as she blindly searched in the dark. "Ah...Church camp."

" _What_?" The more he found out about her the weirder it got.

"Every summer I spend a month by a lake with about three hundred other girls. I always share a room with this girl from New York—her dad is a street pastor—and she introduced me to _everything_. Mainly British stuff from London and especially _Manchester_. She gets English music magazines shipped over to the states." She held one cassette up to the passing streetlights. "Is this? You like Joy Division!"

"Hell yes." He stopped at some traffic lights and watched her put the cassette tape in, picking a track. The quietest and most withdrawn students at their high school, arguing and laughing over loud music. He shook his head while smiling.

"What, does the Hawkins record store stock these?"

"No, I go to the city. There's this one shop and there's a guy who knows _everything_ about good music. He handed me that tape over a year ago and said 'this'll change your life'. Now I go once a month. This month I bought the Smiths' album. First shipment to the U.S."

"No way. Is it here on cassette?"

"Nah, only on vinyl. It's amazing. You can come over and listen to it sometime. If you want."

"That'd be pretty cool." She said it a little more quietly, bashful suddenly.

Jonathan cleared his throat a little awkwardly. "Your house is actually pretty close to mine."

"We're here already." Gracie's face changed with her voice. "Just drop me off at the end of the road. I'll get my bike."

"I'd rather not. This place...I don't trust this town at night anymore. I know what could be out there. Have you read the stories?"

Gracie opened the door against his advice. "Have you met my mother?"

"Gracie..." He warned.

"I'm not afraid Jonathan." She opened a door to take out her bike from the old car. "Tonight was a really great night. If this was my last night on earth? So be it." She took her guitar and saw his pained expression. She took in all the details like she really was seeing him for the last time. Under the street lights he stood, both hands in his jacket pockets. He seemed to be assessing her too. "The house is about one-hundred metres away." She turned to glance at the other houses, hoping the neighbours weren't watching.

His shoulders relaxed. He mumbled something about being dramatic. "I guess I'll see you in school."

"I guess." She disappeared into the cold night, mulling over how unexpected the night had became.

Jonathan watched her go, realising that most guys would've asked for a number or something. He turned to see a curtain twitch in one of the houses and quickly drove out. He would be coming back home sooner than planned tonight.

* * *

 

**Thanks for reading, best wishes!**


	3. Brave New World

"A great evil is coming upon this town!" The sound of the electric organ echoed through the huge meeting hall. Heads nodded like waves as the collection bucket was passed around.

The paster was tall with greying brown hair and a shiny face. He stepped down with a microphone and walked up and down the blue carpet. "But this is a sign of the times! We were told this was going to happen! It's only the beginning!" The organ blared as his voice rose and people clapped in agreement. "WE MUST GIVE THANKS FOR THIS WARNING!"

A solemn teenager stood in the choir. She looked up through her thick mousy blonde fringe at the crowd. She took the collection bucket, dropped ten percent of her earnings in and passed it on.

"Only last night, a member of our flock saw something not of this world! And this isn't news to anyone. We must be ready! With faith there is no fear of evil! Repeat that folks!" The room repeated it back. The teenager mouthed the words, glancing at the ceiling. She thought she heard something.

"Good! That's the spirit! Let us praise and give thanks. On a lighter note we have our newest choir member today folks. Our own Gracie-Jean joins the choir today! Give praise people!"

She smiled painfully as eyes suddenly rested on the adolescent. Raising a hand, half waving in her new choir gown she bowed her head awkwardly. With the group she started to sing, watching her mother in the audience sing with her usual violent gusto in a bright blue hat with a bow that shook as she warbled.

She looked up at the coloured glass windows as sunlight quickly dimmed. Rain began to beat the window. Her mind wandered to the 'great evil' coming as the volume of singing rose. The little boy who was found, the girl who died, the questions the towns folks had...all of these played on her mind. The worst thing was that she could feel it too. Gracie-Jean sang louder.

"HELP! HELP HIM!"

One by one people stopped singing they heard the screams.

"HELP ME! HELP MY BABY!"

People turned, some screams went up. A hysterical woman carried the small limp child to the front and people got up, watching. The organist stopped playing and silence except for one lady's screaming echoed through the hall. The toddler started choking up more blackness violently. The black vomit moved.

Gracie suddenly was beside the writhing child. She reached out to comfort him. The sound of an animal echoed and she looked up to see everyone had disappeared. The hall was overgrown in seconds and everything had decayed and rotted in a second. A black inhuman arm grabbed her and she screamed. She heard her name call within the darkness.

"Gracie-Jean! Gracie-Jean? It's time you were up for school! Come on now!"

Gracie awoke safe in bed, exhaling with relief. "Coming Mom...I'll be a minute."

* * *

Crowds of students poured off busses and cars, all arriving at high school. Steve got out of his car, happily oblivious to the mean stares and whispers that now followed him. He was no longer popular and Steve no longer cared. He turned around to see Jonathan walking across the parking lot. Steve called to him. "Hey Jonathan!"

Jonathan turned to see Steve wave a hand. It was hard to dislike Steve these days even when he really wanted to. "Hey."

"The Evil Dead is playing tonight, double horror-movie bill. Want to come with us?" Steve leaned casually on his expensive car, looking so damn earnest Johnathan gritted his teeth.

"Maybe. It sounds good. I might bring someone." Ordinarily he would've refused immediately, even though it was a kind thought. Third-wheeling Steve and Nancy would be excruciating.

Steve's eyes lit up. "Bringing a _girl,_ Byers? Who's the lucky lady?"

"Lucky lady?" Nancy while walking over had overheard them in the parking lot. She walked over to Steve. Steve took her heavy books casually and Nancy half-smiled at him.  
It was a moment that made Jonathan's gut and heart twist a little in dull pain. It would've hurt less if they had just started heavily making out instead. They seemed pretty happy together, small stuff like that mattered.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I met this girl last night. She's cool."

"Who is she?" Nancy tried to ask it casually but something didn't sound right. There was an edge to her voice.

Steve raised one of his brows, hand to his chin. "Or do we guess...Doreen McCarthy. Amber Williams. Uh..."

Jonathan exhaled with amusement, mildly exasperated. "Seriously? Amber? Stop guessing, you won't get it. I need to get to class."

"You can't leave us like this man, give us a letter. _Initials_!" He chuckled before shouting, echoing through the disapproving crowd. "We'll be discreet!" Jonathan walked away to class, flipping the bird quickly behind him. Steve was too perky in the morning.

Nancy watched him go a little glumly.

"Oh yeah, my parents were pretty happy to see my report card last night." Steve smiled. "I think it might be the only time in recorded history my mom had something to put on the refrigerator."

"I guess that's what happens when you _actually_ study."

"It's actually kind of fun...almost as fun as 'studying'." Steve smiled at her raised eyebrows. "But only with you."

"Steve Harrington, you're becoming soft..." They walked towards school as the bell rang.

* * *

It was the afternoon and standing outside her next class—gym—Nancy looked through flashcards, preparing for the latest test. Jonathan unexpectedly walked down the hall not noticing her behind a group of jocks. She watched him walk with his back to her, then suddenly turn his head to make eye-contact with a girl standing alone waiting for gym, reading a novel. Nancy watched her expression and instantly knew as Gracie-Jean let a big, suprised, very brief smile show. Nancy's mouth opened and closed a little and an unexpected pang of hurt settled in her heart. Nancy went back to reading her flashcards with more fervour until the bell rang. She told herself she was fine about it all. Totally fine. In fact, she was going to be _friends_ with her.

* * *

Nancy Wheeler sat awkwardly in her gym clothes, pretending to be intensely interested in her nails to kill time. She swallowed when she heard the laughter and the snickering of the other girls echo off the lockers. She never remembered the locker room being this loud. But then she was never really a loner until now. Barb was gone. Others avoided her. Now she really knew what it was like to be like the outcasts she used to ignore guiltily.

Nancy turned as she heard Mrs. Graham's door open and close. Gracie-Jean, quietly slid out and nodded as the smiling teacher talked to her.

"Why is she talking to 'Carrie'?" One girl whispered it within ear shot.

Nancy was now desperate to speak to the mysterious girl Jonathan mentioned.

The gym teacher barked her orders as she walked. "Cross country training girls. Get those shorts on and get out there! Remember, Gracie-Jean goes to the front today, nobody get in her way. I don't want a repeat of last week. She's our star runner."

Gracie vaguely felt eyes upon her and met eyes with Nancy Wheeler who shot over a fleeting smile. It caught Gracie by surprise but she had no idea what to do so she abruptly turned to take off her ugly old lady dress. She had to focus if she wanted to compete for state. Competing for state was a golden chance to leave town for a day without her mother. Gracie didn't even care about winning any medal.

Nancy dropped her smile and walked out into the cold misty afternoon, following the laughing and complaining girls as they began to warm up.

In the forest they lined up loosely, ready for the long race. Nancy looked up, this forest was on school property but she was still scared by memories of what used to lurk in forests. She eyed Gracie emerging from the gym hall, walking up the grass hill.

"Brenner! Run well today, you're competing for state."

Nancy wanted an excuse to talk to her. She really looked at Gracie for the first time and noted with jealousy that Gracie's baggy dresses and gym clothes hung tent-like over her chest. She noted that Gracie was slightly taller and generally more athletic and capable looking. A perfect cheerleader body. Nancy folded her arms in the cold, her slender frame shivering in the frosty air. She and Barb used to power walk together, chatting and ignoring the jeers from the others. Today Nancy wanted to make first contact as the shrill whistle echoed through the trees.

The gym teacher raised her eyebrows as Nancy uncharacteristically ran through the crowd, the other girls frowned as the willowy brunette flew by them. She smiled as she passed them, wondering why she thought running was so bad before. She saw Gracie down the forest path and raced toward her. She frowned as Gracie moved with surprising pace for such a long race. After almost ten minutes Nancy's lungs began to burn and her body reminded her exactly why running was not fun.

"Hey, Gracie!" Nancy expelled the words. She tried to use her skinny arms to propel her body forward but she was already exhausted. "Wait!"

Gracie frowned. She almost slowed but remembered that if she didn't score a personal best, she might not escape Hawkins to compete for state in the city. She kept running, frowning and focusing on her slow and even breathing. Behind her she heard stumble, the crack of a branch, a yelp. then a thud.

She kept running for two seconds. She screeched to a halt and sighed, turning to see Nancy getting up, holding her side in pain and breathing shakily like she'd just ran a marathon. "It's okay, keep going. I'm okay." Nancy smiled weakly.

Gracie wanted to keep going, she knew Nancy only had a stitch and a slightly scratched knee. _I guess that's why all the guys fight over her_. _She's so..._ She felt mean thinking it but jealousy panged her heart when she saw how pretty Nancy still managed to look even after outdoing herself running. _She looks so fragile, helpless...yet still cute._ Gracie stood with a hand on her hip, waiting for Nancy to regain the ability to talk properly.

"You need to get going—to get to the state final."

"We can walk it today." Gracie said it in monotone whilst looking at her watch, it was too late to try and beat last week's personal best. She vaguely annoyed but sympathy got in the way. "Look. Here comes the rest."

The girls in a large group raced over the hill, passing them with random insults. Three girls stopped. All three had short permed brown hair with slightly different highlights. Gracie looked down at her shoes for a moment, half hiding hiding her face that was now probably white with random blotches of red.

"Hey _Carrie_. Not so fast today, huh?"

Gracie had secretly read the Stephen King novel in the library and knew why it was such a mean insult. She loathed the venomous nickname with a passion.

"That's none of your business." Nancy raised her eyebrows and looked at them expectantly, putting up a fight on Gracie's behalf. Gracie frowned and wondered if Nancy had ever realised or cared how unequipped she was to start fights. Having guts and being brave only got you so far. "And her name is Gracie-Jean."

The girls let out a snort of laughter. "Ohmygosh," one laughed, "You're a lonely teacher's pet turned slut who's desperate for tragic friends that make you look better. That's why you're being friendly to _Carrie_!"

The three walked on, leaving Nancy and Gracie before both could say a word in return. The girls stood silently on the dirt path. Nancy scowled and Gracie simply blinked as the anger sizzled for a second but she pushed it down easily. Gracie was very used to being an outcast. It was still quite new for Nancy.

"What makes them think they have the right to say crap like that? Could they be any more mean?" Gracie heard the hurt in her voice. Gracie remembered the disappearance of Barb. Nancy's best friend. It occurred to Gracie just then that Nancy needed more than guys going moony over her. Nancy had ran after Gracie today. Nancy wanted a friend. Gracie had been too busy being jealous and self-pitying to notice.

"They might be just miserable." Gracie and Nancy walked up the hill together as the forest loomed around them. "I mean, since when do people say something mean while being completely satisfied with their own lives?"

"It's still bitchy of them. They should call you by your name at least."

"You can call me 'Gracie' by the way. To be honest, I hate the name Gracie-Jean."

"Why didn't you say before?"

"Well...I think Gracie-Jean is a different person from Gracie. I mean right now I'm Gracie but as soon as I'm back in that grandma dress walking down the high-school corridor, I'm back to Gracie-Jean. She's invisible and just waiting to completely disappear."

"Where you Gracie last night?"

Gracie looked at Nancy with wide eyes. "You were at Rattlesnake too?"

"No—my mom would kill me—I heard from this guy I know that he'd met this cool girl there."

Gracie had almost zoned out. He had thought she was cool. She mulled over the word. _Cool._

"No one can know. My mom..." Gracie couldn't explain the weight of the secret to someone like Nancy. "She'd go nuts. And I mean it. Insane." Gracie exhaled at the thought. "My life already is like being permanently grounded. Maybe worse." But she knew Nancy would never understand the tightrope balancing act that was her life.

"I won't tell. I just thought...I realised I had never talked to you until now."

"And?" Gracie smiled. "What's the verdict? Am I as big a freak as they say?"

Nancy smiled. "I'm starting to think people who are called freaks are the best people."

"Excluding axe-muderers." Gracie raised her dark blonde brows. "Come on, let's aim for a light jog."

* * *

Gracie closed her locker as the final bell rang while humming a Joy Division bass riff. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned around. Mary-Prudence stood in a way that spelled trouble. Gracie felt nerves kick her in the stomach. "Hey Prudence."

"Daddy and I popped over to yours last night. Daddy was trying to stop your senile mom from destroying the reputation of our church."

"I wish you luck." Gracie-Jean heaved her bag over one shoulder. "I'm sorry I was busy."

"Oh, well. When they were talking I noticed your light was on." Prudence took a black book from her bag "I climbed up and your window was open...I was only in for a second and one of your fluffy stuffed animals fell on the floor. I noticed it was pretty heavy. I found where you hide all your secrets." Gracie eyed her precious sketchbook filled with drawings and collages that were secret from her mother. "I thought it was a diary, but this is just as good. Also–why did you draw a dead bird on the sidewalk? That's disgusting."

"What do you want from me Prude?"

"I want you to cover me. You will make it your business to make excuses for me when I go out at night. When I come home late, it'll be _your_ fault for whatever reason."

"Fine. Are you going out with the asshole then?"

Prudence changed the topic of conversation. "Where were you last night, anyway?"

"None of your business. Now give me my sketchbook Prude. Did you take anything else?"

"Maybe."

Gracie narrowed her eyes, wishing she could let loose on her so-called friend and nemesis. "Fine. Just give me the sketchbook."

Gracie held out her hand with a bored expression. Prudence's face went from innocent contempt to a sudden faked friendly smile.

Nancy's voice make her turn around. "Umm, Gracie?"

Gracie snatched the book from Mary-Prudence's hand. "See you later, Prude." She said it pointedly, wanting the conniving girl out of earshot as quickly as possible. Prudence got the message.

Nancy smiled awkwardly as she realised she had interrupted at a tense moment. "Okay..."

"Ignore her." Gracie shook her head. "She's always been like that. What's up?"

"I'm wondering if you'd like to hang out with us sometime. Y'know, like the movies or something."

Gracie's expression turned from shock to flattered and finally to disappointment. "My mom...she's difficult. I've never been allowed to go to the movies before and she always needs to know where I am." She sighed while smiling. "Thanks for the invite though." She shook her head suddenly. "Damn, I really am like Carrie! Y'know? The Stephen King novel?"

"I know, but I watched the movie instead."

"Better watch out," she made a joke to disguise the deep disappointment she felt. "Come prom, I'll go crazy."

* * *

**_Thanks for reading, kisses and hugs from Hawkins._ **


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's really nice that you took the time to read my stuff. Kiss kiss.

"Hey Nance," Steve waited for Nancy in lemony spring sunlight on the edge of the playing fields. He pushed up his sunglasses. "This will be fun. Like a double date but this time with people we like, unlike–"

"She can't come." Nancy shrugged helplessly, at a loss. "Her mom won't let her."

Steve nodded as they walked to his car. Everyone at school knew that Gracie and the other three weren't allowed to socialise with outsiders when not in school. "No. This _will_ happen. This is a small hitch in the plan. That's all."

Jonathan was walking to his car, thinking about the current light and what ISO would be best to take a picture of a big tree root that had sprung up underneath the asphalt in the student parking lot. It was beautiful to look at. He liked how the root had overcome the obstacle, nature overcoming anything in it's path. He took out his camera and bent down to take a picture. The shutter clicked and he turned around to see the two people who he had came to call 'friends'. Steve looked like he was concocting a plan. He walked over through the thinning crowd of high-schoolers.

"Hey." Nancy sat on the front of Steve's car. Her hair had recently been cut. She was wearing a light blue dress with a pastel pink jumper on top. "Steve might have a plan so Gracie can come with us tonight."

"What?" He looked from one to the other a little panicked. Who told them? How did they know? Why was there suddenly a plan? "How do you two know?"

Steve waved the question away. "Nancy figured it out at gym. Did you ever get her number? Gracie-Jean's?"

"No. Why?"

He shook his head like Jonathan was his new apprentice in-training. "Rookie mistake dude, al–"

"Wait a minute." He took a folded and wrinkled flyer out of his pocket. "Her mom has been leaving these around town! This has to be her number!"

"Why is her number on a flyer?" Nancy tried not to look alarmed at the red lettering and the word 'demon' in bold capitals.

"Her mom is offering exorcisms after what happened." Jonathan kind of liked the absurdity of it all.

" _Exorcisms_?" Steve let out a low whistle. "This'll be a tough one. But we can do it. We need a plan. You have a suit, don't you?"

* * *

Gracie sat at the piano, her mom had left for some bread at the store, so she got to play what she wanted to for ten minutes. She hit the keys staring into space, imagining going the movies. The idea of going into a theatre with popcorn and loud sounds. People screaming and laughing. Escaping.

Her mom came in. She quickly switched from "Changes" into "The Lord's my Shepard". She began to sing the song, imagining someone up there hiding her from her crazy mother. "I will trust in you alone..."

The phone went. Gracie stopped playing. Her mother bustled over to answer it by the second ring. They lived in a small house that was still stuck in the 1950's. "Hello, Ms. Brennan speaking."

Gracie was pretty sure no one needed exorcising but her mother sounded very serious. Gracie looked out the window, hitting the highest key slowly whist listening carefully. "Yes she is. No. Hmm-hmm."

Gracie worried that Prude had a new plan and had got her Dad involved. Her heart thudded and her palms sweated a little. You never knew when the next freak-out was coming. Her mother was like a taut piece of fraying rope and she was the nervous tight-rope walker.

Her mother hung up the phone. "Well Gracie. I wasn't expecting this. You didn't tell me." Those little snake slit eyes narrowed.

Gracie's eyes widened and she visibly shrank. "What Momma? What did I do?" Her voice had become childlike and weak.

"Christian youth in Indiana told me tonight you're part of their volunteer force. You filled a form a few months ago at church."

Slightly relived but still confused she shook her head. "I don't remember doing anything like that..."

"Yes you did missy. The girl called Nancy-Mary-Elizabeth said only the most dedicated are chosen. I'm glad we're getting some recognition."

 _Doing good works isn't about recognition Mom...that's what a Pharisee would do._ She thought. "Wait. Her name was Nancy?"

"Yes. Her brother Nathan-John is picking you and some others up for the conference. I hope you've finished your homework. It'll be in the city so you'll be dropped off home at eleven. It's about time you spent time with some proper young folk. That Mary-Prudence is a wild one. She wears her skirt sometimes above the knee."

Gracie suppressed a smile. She didn't know what was coming but it'd either be very good or catastrophically bad. "I'll go upstairs to change."

* * *

She walked down in a grandma dress that came to her ankles.

"Purple? I suggested you wear the blue one."

The door knocked. Gracie beat her Mom to open it and try to block her vision. She wasn't wearing her glasses thankfully.

Gracie opened her mouth at the sight of Jonathan in borrowed glasses with his hair brushed in a dorky way. he wore a black suit–the type that had been last worn at a funeral. Gracie thought he looked like he was from a cult. She looked at her mom who bought it instantly.

'Nathan-John' stood back from the doorstep, hoping he would not be recognised in the crappy last minute disguise. The stillness and perfection of the house and garden freaked him out little. "Hello Ms. Brennan. Sorry for the late notice. But we really have to go right away. The kids..." Jonathan had fluffed his line slightly in an out-of-town accent. "Those city kids need savin'."

"Amen." Her mom said a little to loudly.

"Well, I better get going." Her eyes met with Jonathan. She couldn't believe what was happening. It was crazy.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Her mother narrowed her eyes.

Gracie paused. "Oh yeah. I'll go get my Bible. I won't get far without that..."

* * *

"Nathan-John? Seriously? Do you think all religious people have two first names?" She laughed as Jonathan got back into the car five minutes later. He had drove back to his house to change into jeans and a shirt.

"We needed to give you a clue it was us...Nancy made the call." The spring evening sunshine came in through the glass as Jonathan loosed his tie and shirt button. "I looked like one half of the _Blues Brothers_...Steve gave me the glasses."

"I've never seen the movie. I thought you looked more like a cult member."

"It could've been worse, Steve and Nancy also were going to dress up like this." Jonathan shock his head so the combed hair went into it's normal style. Steve had insisted on solidarity. "Can you imagine us all showing up to the movies like we're going to a funeral?" He continued as he drove past suburban block after block. "You know, I hate this small town. In New York I could wear anything and no one would give a shit. I can't wait to leave."

"Don't panic or anything..." Gracie bent forward and reached behind her back. His eyes looked sideways automatically at the sound of unzipping. "But I'm taking off this dress." She pulled the fabric over her head and tried to squirm out of it.

"Umm..." Taking his attention off the road for a few seconds, a truck from behind honked and he went back to focusing on the road. He cringed with embarrassment. He wasn't really the blushing type.

"What's his problem?" Her oblivious voice sounded from underneath the purple tent she was getting off her head.

"I think it was a deer or something." He lied.

She came up for air, balling the dress and throwing it into the backseat. She had sneakily wore the t-shirt and jeans underneath. "Ta-dah! My only non-tent outfit!"

"I have a jacket in the back. The place can get pretty chilly."

"Oh, thanks! I didn't think about that. I forgot my coat at home." She smiled and opened his glovebox. She took out a mixtape and read the list of songs before putting it in and tapping her thighs along with the beat.

"When did you learn to play guitar?"

She thought about it. "Umm...I learned piano since nine, then guitar since eleven or twelve I think."

"Wow. I wish I was talented like that. You can play whatever you want whenever you want."

"It's not so much talent than a lot of lessons and practising. You have to remember that I missed out on loads of normal stuff like movies and video games. And I can only play what I want alone."

"Why is your mom so..."

"Crazy? Dictator-like? Scary?" She leaned her head back on the seat.

"I didn't say that. People called my mom crazy too, remember? I mean, what happened to her to make her so uptight?"

She folded her fingers as Ian Curtis sang in the background. "Well, it's not religion. That's for sure. She hides behind it. She doesn't talk about her life before I came along. As for my father...I have no idea."

"Sometimes not knowing your father is a good thing." Jonathan pulled into the parking lot.

"I guess so. But I also wish I had extended family in general. She's hiding something and I know she'll never tell anyone." She had never told anyone this. It was a relief to get her thoughts out there yet she half believed that as an outsider, he would eventually betray her secrets. "You won't...tell anyone what I've just said will you?"

He took the keys out of the ignition. In the light of day he saw her properly for the first time. Dark blonde hair that was naturally crinkled had been taken out of the puritan braid. Her shirt was close fitting and when she sat a line of flesh peeped underneath the shirt and the jeans' waistband. Her skin was very pale thanks to the long winter. He didn't really know the colour of her eyes since they were either dark blue, green or hazel.

"I promise I won't."

She smiled and reached back to get the jacket, bending a little. With the base of her spine exposed he briefly wondered how aware she was that she was exposing her skin. She was probably naive in many ways. She was not embarrassed about wearing his jacket because logic told her that if it's cold, she needs a jacket. She didn't realise that for regular teens, wearing a guys jacket meant they were going steady or at the very least on a date. Did she see this as a date? Did he see this as a date?

"You know, I'm so excited and nervous...I'm finally going to the movies!" She grinned. Jonathan shook his head like he couldn't figure her out. " _What_?" She put on his jacket.

"Nothing." He was laughing at himself for getting so wound up. With Gracie there was no lingering silences or overthinking. Right now she was seeing everything for the first time. She wasn't worried about the fact it might be a date or that she was wearing his jacket. He could relax. For now. "Let's go and watch some _Evil Dead_."

She pressed her lips into a line. She tried to sound nonchalant. "How scary does this movie get? Will I be able to handle it?"

"Well it's a double bill. First is 'Night of the Living Dead'. So that should prepare you for 'Evil Dead'. It's one of my favourite movies."

She wasn't entirely convinced that she'd enjoy it at all. She took a deep breath and opened the car door.

* * *

Nancy and Steve had been discussing the attractiveness of Tom Cruise as Jonathan and Gracie entered. Gracie's eyes darted from floor to ceiling, clearly taking it all in and smiling. Nancy didn't smile as she saw how Gracie and Jonathan seemed to fit together in some inexplicable way. Even his jacket looked good on her.

Nancy watched as Jonathan talked to Gracie and she nodded with a lopsided dimpled smile. They were such outsiders. Not just how they dressed but everything about them seemed to belong to somewhere else. They looked at ease with each other.

"I see love's young dream have finally arrived." Steve smiled. 


	5. The Passenger

They stood in the short line to get popcorn during the intermission. It was a quiet night at the theatre and thankfully none of their fellow high schoolers where there; Gracie had briefly thought about the taunts she would receive tomorrow but concluded she didn't give a damn anymore.

Steve smiled as he watched her weakly tell Nancy she didn't find it that scary. 'Really Grace? I could've sworn I saw you holding on those seat armrests for dear life!' He winked at her, 'But for future reference you hold onto your dates hand or arm or something. Thats why people go to see scary movies! No one actually _enjoys_ them!'

'Speak for yourself.' Jonathan rolled his eyes.

'And I don't need to hold onto a guys arm to feel better, Steve.' Gracie felt embarrassed that he had implied this was a date and it was making her nervous and awkward. She hid it pretending she couldn't care less. 'You do realise that most girls probably _pretend_ to be frightened to satisfy the guy's ego, right?'

'I seriously doubt it, Nancy?' Steve and the other two waited for Nancy's verdict.

'I'm not saying anything.' Nancy smiled at Steve, not wanting to reveal anything. 'Look, we're next.'

'Saved by the bell.' Grace smiled at Jonathan once Steve and Nancy's backs were turned, relieved that she was with someone who had not tried anything or had even called it a date. 'It's also my turn to pay for popcorn. My mama didn't raise a free-loader.'

'Well, _my_ mom tried to raise a gentleman.' He retorted. 'I'll pay.'

'Fine,' They approached the counter to buy buttered popcorn. 'But this isn't over.' She challenged. It was a nice gesture but she vowed to pay next time.

* * *

She braced herself as college students stayed in the woods on the movie screen. She was nervous and knew things wouldn't end well as one of the characters became possessed. She needed air. She couldn't handle it. She needed a break. 'I'll be back in a minute.'

Jonathan looked over at her in the darkness. 'Are you okay? We can leave if you want.'

'No,' she whispered, lying. 'I'm fine. I'll be right back.' She smiled weakly as blood spurted along with screaming that echoed through the hall.

* * *

Gracie looked back at her reflection in the mirror of the toilets. The distant screams and music of the movie sounded and she looked pale and ghostly, a little nauseous.

'HELP!'

Gracie screamed and spun around with her hands over her mouth, terrified at the yell from behind. No one was there. 'Hello?' She whispered weakly. She stood in silence shaking in her t-shirt and jeans as the air grew colder. She looked at the two cubicles with closed doors. She told herself she was not scared of whatever it was. 'Please, God.' She whispered.

She kicked the first cubicle door. Nothing was there. 'Come out, whoever you are.' Her eyes darted around. She stood outside the last closed cubicle door and it loomed, getting bigger and scarier in the silence. She told herself that it was her imagination that she could smell blood. Her heart thudded and breathing shook. She kicked it open.

The world descended into darkness.

* * *

Nancy looked over at the empty seat. 'Maybe I should go with her.' She whispered to Steve.

'Nancy scared too?' Steve squeezed her hand then let it go, he was only kidding. He knew that nothing on screen could scare Nancy after what happened in November. 'No, you're right. It's her first time at the movies after all. We kinda threw her in at the deep end.'

Jonathan looked over as Nancy left too. Steve offered him two thumbs up. 'Everything is fine' he mouthed.

* * *

Grace looked around the darkened toilets, terrified. Where was she? She panicked as everything was the same yet the air was heavy. It was difficult to breathe. 'HELP!' She yelped. She ran out of the toilets and into a dark abandoned movie theatre. 'Nancy!' She screamed. 'Jonathan!'. She ran outside through the back door into the backstreet.

The world was decayed and dark. Her head started to hurt. She needed to get out and ran back into the theatre. A shooting white pain stopped her and she recoiled in pain as blood ran down her lip. She screamed as she crouched in the blueish dark. Something was tearing her apart on the inside. She clutched her head and tasted blood. She weakly stood, gulping for stale air. Instinct took over as she felt pins and needles all over. This place, what was it doing to her? What had happened to the world?

She felt like she was dying as her vision blurred. Through the pain there came a voice. One word. _Run_.

Her body stood up even though she was paralysed with pain. Instinct told her to run despite the fact her eyes were closed in pain and she was still screaming in agony. A girl's voice suddenly came through the pain. _Go through the door_.

* * *

Nancy frowned as the ladies bathroom lights flickered and a bad feeling settled in her stomach. It was empty. She walked through the corridor as the lights came on and off, hearing a buzzing noise, out the back entrance. Was Grace getting some air? She walked into the alleyway. 'Gracie?' She called into the night. She looked up to see that the exit light that usually glowed was black and burnt out. 'Grace!' She called with real panic. _It was happening again._ She spun around to tell the guys when suddenly, there Grace was. She sat on the ground, head in her hands, shaking.

'Grace!' Nancy ran to her. 'I thought something had...' Nancy furrowed her brow, relieved. 'Are you okay?' Nancy put her arm around her, realising her skin was icy. 'We didn't know it would be this scary.'

Grace flinched and looked up at Nancy as if seeing her for the first time. 'What?' Grace paused. 'Oh, the movie...no.' She realised she was back. The memory of a strange little girl's voice still echoed as she was helped up. 'I thought...' She stuttered as normality flooded in. 'I mean, I just felt sick. I...' She touched her nose. Her fingers came back red. '...I just have a nosebleed.'

Nancy sighed in relief. 'Oh. Okay. Here, I have a tissue in my bag.'

* * *

Grace and Nancy walked back into the theatre five minutes later and sat back in their seats. Grace put on Jonathan's coat again and watched the screen as a monster reached out from the floor on the movie screen. She looked around the theatre for any evidence of that...place. She had got herself out somehow but she didn't want to try again. Was it her imagination? How could it be? It had been real pain, real blood.

'Would Steve win, if I held your hand?' She whispered. 'I'm terrified.' She said it earnestly. Truthfully.

Her eyes met his as his warm hand squeezed hers in the dark. 'I'd never give him the satisfaction.' He murmured.

She smiled and suppressed her cold shivering. He did not realise that at that very moment he was anchoring her to reality. She watched the screen and relaxed a little. Nothing in _this_ world could scare her anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you have a good day!


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